And I Like Warm Hugs
by Ragingstillness
Summary: Random Zades Modern AU. Zelena's landlord is known for a streak of craziness but when what he's done inconvenicences the handsome man from the other side of the building, might she end up gaining more than she's losing?


Zelena's first thought was, I'm going to kill my landlord. The strange man was often known to pull quite random emergency drills on his tenants, claiming it was for their safety, when really he was just stupid and lonely.

So when the fire alarm went off at 3 a.m. Zelena didn't panic. She just threw a robe on over her nightgown, tied it calmly at the waist, and strode out her apartment door.

Zach from across the hall gave her a wave, daring to take his hands out of the warm pockets of his own robe to do it. Zelena grimaced in response. She didn't dislike Zach, but he was much too happy for 3 a.m., never mind that she had still been up, doing paperwork as her father's power of attorney.

After his accident the rest of her family left him in the lurch so the duty had been thrust onto her. Now she was dealing with all of his important emotional and fiscal decisions on top of her own day job as a painter.

Zach saw her distaste and wisely chose not to respond, instead walking down the fire escape with her. Their slipper-clad feet padded out onto the sidewalk together, where they stood, shivering in the early winter chill. It really wasn't even fair for the landlord to force them out in this weather. Zelena wasn't surprised to see that several of her neighbors weren't even out, willing to take their chances if it meant staying warm.

Words were muttered around the group in low voices, the sound peppered with long running hatred of the landlord but too cold to be more than a dull roar. Zelena heard the noise level momentarily increase and looked around to see the group from the other side of the building walking over, chatting. They were absorbed into her own group, people filtering in and out of the spaces between each other.

Then the fire alarm stopped and they all fell silent, waiting for the landlord to come out and give the all clear so they could lightly cuss him out and get back to their beds. But he didn't emerge, and Zelena was distracted from the silent vigil by a tapping noise beside her.

She turned towards it and saw a man tapping his foot on the concrete. The reason she could hear it so clearly was because his feet were completely bare. In fact, the man was wearing nothing but a pair of blue boxer shorts. A pang of pity swept through Zelena. It must have been in the low forties out and the small breeze certainly couldn't be helping.

She looked the stranger up and down, feeling, even in the numbness of emotion that came with the dead hours of the morning, that she should help him somehow. Her over-stressed brain chose not to focus on her original objective and instead registered details the logic-based part of her saw as irrelevant. Like how well-muscled the man was, the couple of inches he had on her, and how, when he crossed his arms and glared up at the building, he looked intimidating, even in blue boxer shorts.

Other people were glancing at him from the corner of their eyes, wanting to help but unable to come up with a solution. He kept moving, heedless of their gazes. He hopped in place several times, uncrossed his arms, ran his hand through his fluffy blonde hair, and blew on his fingers to keep them warm.

Finally Zelena could take no more of waiting and seeing this man suffer so she walked over to him, and in a single, defeated motion flung her arms around his torso, pressing her fluffy robe against him. He made a noise of surprise and looked down at her, but she didn't pay him any mind, grabbing the gazes of the people around them.

"Well?" She prompted. "Come on."

They grumbled a little, but one by one her fellow tenants wandered over and joined her in hugging the poor man who obviously hadn't lived there long enough to be prepared for their crazy landlord's crazy doings. The man in question stiffened at first then relaxed against the group hug.

Zelena was the only one truly facing him so she looked up, setting her chin on one of his collarbones, and smiled up at him. "Hello, stranger. Welcome to Storybrooke Heights."

The people around her heard and tittered. The man smiled back at her, his hands braced on her elbows.

"I certainly feel welcomed. Taken aback, but getting towards comfortable." Zelena blinked. While she had already ascertained that he was conventionally attractive, his voice was a surprise. Deep and steady, filled with the command of a man who should be living in a mansion, not a run-down apartment complex. Without thinking she asked the question.

"Where did you live before here?"

He shrugged, dragging her up and down an inch or so. "Here and there. Lots of apartments, lots of different environments." He leaned towards her but his conspiratorial whisper was meant for the entire group. "I once lived in a complex where we were required to be absolutely silent after 8:20 at night. Dead silent, no one was allowed to make a sound or they would be kicked out."

Zach, who was facing the man's back and a few row behind, called out. "Why 8:20?"

The man shrugged again, moving Zelena, who giggled with the movement and he finally seemed to notice he was doing it. "I have no idea. It was such a strange time to choose."

A woman who lived three doors down from Zelena asked a question. "What made you leave?"

The man laughed and Zelena could feel it rumble through her body too. "I got fed up with the landlord's strict ways so I got another place, but stayed a week extra in the old one so I could throw the biggest and most obnoxious party possible with some college friends. We set the start time at exactly 8:20."

The whole group laughed. The atmosphere was suddenly very comfortable, everyone close enough to each other physically that there was a bit of an emotional connection as well.

Zelena unwrapped one of her hands from where they had been clasped right below the man's shoulder blades and held it up towards his face. "I'm Zelena Mills, what's your name?"

He lifted a hand to shake hers. "Hades Pluto, nice to meet you."

The others took their cue from Zelena, calling out their names one by one. The talk quieted down after that, everyone huddling to keep warm. Then Hades asked the question they knew had been the most pressing on his mind since the start.

"Do you think there's an actual fire?"

A chorus of scoffs and "no way" s rose from the crowd. Hades looked confused so Zelena took it upon herself to explain.

"Our landlord is a bit of a loon. He likes to run emergency drills year round at the most awkward times. He should be out in a few minutes to give us the all clear then we can all get back to sleep."

A few people practically moaned at the idea of getting back to their down comforters and fluffy pillows. Hades nodded, then joined them all in simultaneously glaring at the door to their building.

The group huddled together for another few minutes then the basement door opened and out popped the slimy, balding head of their landlord. He smirked up at them all between missing teeth.

"Thank you for your participation in the drill. You may go back in now."

The group groaned and several called out lazy insults. They would have been furious, but the cold and sudden penguin huddle had calmed their tempers. They detached from around Hades slowly, immediately missing the warmth of the person next to them. Zelena was in the exact middle so she was one of the last to peel off.

Before everyone made it back inside Hades called out, thanking them for their help. A man a floor above Zelena, named Stuart, called back.

"No problem, man. Anytime."

Hades' eyes widened. "I just wish I could thank you all somehow."

Zach laughed. "You could carry me up to my room."

He stumbled around dramatically, as if about to collapse. The assembled people chortled at his antics. Then Stuart spoke.

"I wouldn't recommend you try and carry Zach, he eats nothing but pizza and chips-"

"Hey!" Zach jumped in.

"-But if you want to thank someone, you should carry Zelena. She was the one who got us all to help you."

Zelena's face flushed. "What?! I was just doing what any good neighbor would, there's no need."

The other tenants jumped in, cajoling the two of them.

"Come on, mate, just do it."

"She looks so cold."

"Go on."

Hades shook his head, but smiled at Zelena anyway. "Do you mind?"

She twisted her hands behind her back before finally saying, "I suppose not."

His smirk grew. He walked over to her and in one smooth motion swept her up so she was sitting on his arm with his hand steadying her back. Some of the younger men in the group wolf-whistled.

Zelena raised an eyebrow then set a hand on Hades' shoulder so she could lean out towards the men.

"You're just jealous I don't have to walk up six flights of stairs."

Hades grunted and readjusted his hold on her. "Six flights? I'm not sure I can do this anymore."

"Hey!" She smacked his shoulder.

He just grinned back up at her.

"Don't worry, I'm kidding."

"So am I, I live on the second floor."

He chuckled then began to walk towards the door. He opened it with one hand, precariously balancing her, then ducked the two of them under the doorway. Despite how surreal it all was, especially at four or so in the morning, Zelena found herself giggling the entire time.

He stopped on the second floor landing. "Which room number is yours?"

Zelena pointed. "204."

Hades nodded and carried her the last five meters down the hall. When they reached her door he set her down, making sure her feet were on the ground before he removed his steadying arm from around her back.

She inserted the key into the lock but stopped from turning it to talk to her new acquaintance. "Thanks for that."

He smiled and ran a hand through his hair again. "I should be thanking you. You've probably saved me a cold, which would have made tomorrow's family reunion even more unbearable."

Zelena scrunched up her nose. "Uncomfortable family? Tell me about."

"Really?" He joked.

"Why not?" She responded. "But tomorrow. Would you like an excuse to not go?"

Hades stared at her as though she was an angel who had also just saved his life. He was _that_ overjoyed. "Of course. Do you happen to have one hidden in the pockets of that _very_ fuzzy robe?"

Zelena snorted. "In fact I believe I do." She paused, finger pressed to her lips. "Tell them you need to buy some things to settle into your new apartment."

Hades furrowed his brow. "What am I buying?"

Zelena grinned. "A fuzzy robe."

Hades laughed.

Zelena poked him in the chest, vaguely noting how solid it was. "Don't laugh mister. You and I are going robe shopping tomorrow so you don't have to go to your family reunion and I don't have to face my sister and tell her the paperwork for her step-half-sort-of-father isn't ready."

"Ah so your intentions aren't completely pure."

"My intentions are never pure." Zelena slapped a hand over her mouth. Did she really just say that? The all-nighters must be getting to her. But Hades just laughed it off.

"I'm looking forward to shopping with you already. Good night, Zelena. And you really should get some sleep." He strode off down the hall.

Normally Zelena would never listen to anyone but herself, however, the words of the unusually handsome man made it through her barrier of tenacity already weakened by exhaustion. When she walked past the papers strewn on the kitchen table she ignored them and flopped onto her bed, dreaming of a pair of impressive arctic eyes and a heartbeat she had felt against her own.

 **Author's note:**

 **I liiiiiiiiive! And I am sorry to those who were expected another chapter of Law of the Land to come next. I have drafted it but I still have to finish and edit. Not to mention I have a bit of research to do. I have wanted to do this prompt for ages but only recently have I gotten around to it. Special thanks to iggycat on tumblr for creating it. Please enjoy and R &R as always but please don't expect this to be continued, or at least not for a while, until I get my ducks in a row on all my other Zades stories. Thanks for your support! **


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